Federal Government officials have unwittingly sowed seeds of confusion as to whether or not the Bola Tinubu regime is planning a ban on importation of photovoltaic panels any time soon.
Self-impressed with what the experts in his ministry are doing, the Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, recently claimed the government was willing to support domestic manufacturers of solar panels, including the restriction of their imports. He said that the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, NASENI, and other private outfits are producing solar panels, and the Federal Government is ready to protect them through import restrictions.
Following the outrage that trailed this assertion, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency OF Nigeria, REAN, Abba Aliyu, countered Nnaji’s claims at a recent roundtable in Lagos, asserting that Nigeria’s capacity in the production of renewable equipment, such as solar panels, was still too low to warrant the consideration of the ban of imported solar panels.
We agree with Aliyu that Nigeria is nowhere near the need to ban solar panel imports. With just about 6,000 megawatts generation capacity from its national power grid serving a population of about 225 million people, Nigeria is one of the most underserved countries in terms of electric power. For most Nigerians, the situation is worsened by the sky-high hike of the cost of energy (petrol, diesel and electricity power units supplied by the Distribution Companies, DISCOs, in the past two years. Though the Federal Government has facilitated the devolution of electricity generation and distribution powers to the states, most state governments’ intentions to invest in power grids are still at the drawing board level.
Many financially capable Nigerians have turned to the novel use of solar power to protect themselves from the oppression of power cuts and instability. However, solar power is still very expensive despite its growing popularity. Not many people are able to afford the huge amounts to acquire it. We cannot depend on whatever NASENI and other government agencies might be doing. NASENI has been with us since 1992 when it was established. So has the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. Yet, these and other high sounding federal agencies live large only on propaganda, with very little impact outside the close circuits of government.
If Nigerians are to wait for, or depend on, them for our industrial and technological development, we may never develop. We call for the liberalisation of quality solar panel imports, while efforts are made to attract more investments for their domestic manufacturing. We also urge governments at all levels to encourage banks to provide loan facilities for the acquisition of solar energy by willing and able individuals. Overzealous officials should stop confusing the public.
Vanguard
